Soulful singer/songwriter Garrett Roy Jones, backed by a group called the Recipe, has released the strong live EP Live in the Kitchen, the band’s debut release. Jones, a talented character in Boston’s music scene, shows a brassy vocal ability similar to Melbourne’s Angus Leslie (of Sex on Toast), with a clear John Mayer influence in both composition and guitar performance. Fans of Destroyer’s lesser-avant material (Kaputt, Destroyer’s Rubies) will be sure to spot some familiar idiosyncrasies. Live in the Kitchen, accompanied by a stylish twenty-seven minute single shot video from Felipe Maldonado, is available on Youtube, Spotify, and Bandcamp. -Charley Ruddell

<a href="http://grjandtherecipe.bandcamp.com/album/live-in-the-kitchen">Live in the Kitchen by G.R.J. and the Recipe</a>

Local record label and boutique music agency Marmoset specializes in seeking out some of the most talented acts and songs ranging from the timeless and rare to the emerging and engaging. Their latest endeavor, the Transference compilation LP, focuses particularly on songs lesser unknown and possibly forgotten.

In making Transference, Marmoset's producers combined through the public domain for songs 100 years old and up. As they developed their extensive collection, they invited a series of artists join in on reimagining and rerecording some of these tracks. Marmoset's team worked closely with the participating artists in evolving each track from its original beauty to a newly fashioned merit.

Some of the artists featured on Transference include Ural Thomas and the Pain doing a soulfully rhythmic rendition of "Hot Time in the Old Town," originally recorded in 1896, The Helio Sequence's vision of the Bing Crosby-recorded standard "Down Among the Sheltering Palms" as "Out Among the Sheltering Pines," and an electronic interpretation of Eugene Lockhart and Ernest Seitz 1919 classic "The World is Waiting for the Sunrise" done by Distance and Frankie Simone.

What Marmoset has managed to create is an anthology of imaginative appreciation, showcasing a history of imaginative talent and musicianship. Dive into the 10 tracks on Transference below.

Pinc Louds always seems to be doing something just a little different than what you’d expect. On paper it’s not that unusual: an acoustic guitar based indie rock group. But in practice it can be tough to describe: there’s a sudden burst of strumming, a feathery falsetto-type voice, psyched out doo-wop backing vocal loops. Performances are no exception, if you’re lucky, you may have even caught at least one member of Pinc Louds performing in a subway (they frequent the Delancey/Essex St station). Promising a night full of puppets, scavenger hunts, a “Santa Claus confession room,” and all sorts of other holiday cheer, Pinc Louds will perform full band at Bizarre Bushwick on December 8th for what the band has dubbed it’s Christmas Tentacular. – Cameron Carr

There’s a dramatic depth filtered through a timeless, eclectic, musical framework when one steps into the sonic surroundings of Lizdelise. Refined melodic strokes of sound penetrate to the core, hovering the threshold between stripped-down elegant restraint and exploratory, instrumentally detailed landscapes. Then those precisely thought-out, innately controlled tones are triggered into time-traveling overdrive between classical and contemporary, taking magical form. Tonight at Ortlieb’s, the duo is coupled with the incisively adventurous dream-folk of Sea Offs and the blooming folk-inflected pop rock of Nick Pope. – Michael Colavita

Equal parts confessional and self-veneration, Curtis Cooper’s latest offering begins without a shred of hesitation or apology. Starting off with the full throttle swell of “Freak Out,” Messy unfolds with a satisfying in-your-face bravado. As Cooper croons, “I dare to say that I’m not scared,” screeching riffs, hissing cymbals, and deliberately executed diction amplify the satisfying defiance of survival on your own terms and the intoxicating thrill of reveling in what other’s might consider flaws. A dance-worthy homage to vulnerability, “Freak Out” reminds listeners that it’s okay not to be okay and that sometimes the best way to save yourself is by embracing your inner chaos.

Throughout Messy’s second track, “Philly Jelly,” Cooper channels their inner Billy Corgan circa Machina of God, reviving the best of the grunge era’s zeitgeist. Passion laced with angst and yearning, the song captures the contradiction of being defined by external factors like lovers or hometowns. Through dissonance and sincerity, “Philly Jelly” proves itself to be a perfectly tempered exploration of how proximity can inform desire and a sense of belonging. Prefaced by a whispered countdown, “Crazy” shines a spotlight on Cooper’s softer side. With melodic licks of guitar and proclamations like “I heard your words and I fell for your lines,” the track is as much as it is a love song as it’s an anthem about hero worship. Disillusioned, yet nostalgic, it captures a far too often omitted perspective on romance and remembrance.

“Percs of Life,” prefaced by a calm yet evocative interlude, examines the highs and lows of life with initially sparse instrumentation that gradually blooms into gut-wrenching chords. When Cooper sings, “Time to feel alive again/time to be confined again,” the song, like an ouroboros, turns in on itself, resembling the cyclical nature of mortality implied by its lyricism. “Yeah, No,” a psych-infused melody, feels like a vivid fever dream, enveloping its listener in a brief yet lush soundscape reminiscent of a Devendra Banhart b-side or Brian Jonestown Massacre at their tamest.

With the similarly subtle yet instantaneously catchy “Jkayla,” they pick up the tempo. As the track progresses, it carves out an unpredictable topography of its own. By the time Cooper confesses, “I could have been you/I should have been you,” Messy’s listeners will believe them as if it each word was gospel truth. “Everyone Loves You” is a dark and brooding ballad about the thin line between love and objectification and the ever present promise of escape. Ending with “everyone loves/everyone loves you/everyone stays,” the tune sets the proverbial stage for the equally grim “Everybody’s Dying.” Whether the death in this song is literal or metaphorical, Cooper’s macabre lyrics and heavy riffs continue to echo in the minds of listeners as it eases into the LP’s second interlude.

The album’s closer, “Is It Real,” is a hushed yet existential meditation on love and the meaning of life. Here, Cooper’s fondness for the late great Elliott Smith shows, leaving their audience with a sense of melancholic nostalgia mixed with undertones of hope. Similar to 2016’s Laughing in a Line, Messy is required listening for any Philly native who considers themselves a music lover. Cooper’s anthems aren’t just timely; they’re necessary. (Photo by Abigail Townsend) – Dianca London

The Deli Magazine was born in NYC's Attorney Street in 2004, in the shape of a print issue with a then unknown band on its cover, called Grizzly Bear. Ths NYC blog came in 2005, then the SF one in 2006, and then 9 more in the following years. The Deli is focused on the coverage of emerging bands and solo artists with a 100% local focus - no exceptions!